Rotary engine



April 7,1942. w.' E. GEORGE ROTARY ENGINEL FiiedJan. .s, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Qs INVENTOR. War/e17 5 George 12Z April 1942- w. E. GEORGE 2,278,696

ROTARY ENGINE Filed Jan. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. War/e0 5. George Patented Apr. 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Warren E. George, Tekamah, N ebr.

Application January 8, 1941, Serial No. 373,657

1 Claim.

The invention relates to rotary engines, particularly of the wobbler type, wherein the wobbler frame is provided with arms oscillated by reciprocating pistons for rotating the angularly disposed crank carried by the engine shaft, and has 'for its object to provide floating connections between the wobbler arms and the pistons for allowing freedom of movement of the pistons as they reciprocate. a

A further object is to provide a connection between a wobbler frame arm and reciprocating piston comprising a transversely movable member in the piston in which the wobbler arm is hingedly mounted on a rock sleeve having limited axial movement against spring action, thereby allowing free reciprocation of the piston at all positions.

A further object is to provide the rock sleeve with a central partition and to interpose compression springs between said partitions and members in the bore of the sleeve which reciprocates transversely and the springs acting as centering means for the rock sleeve, and stabilize the wobbler frame and evenly distribute the side thrust caused by the angularity of the wobbler frame over the crosshead bearings. A further object is to provide, in combination with a wobbler engine having wobbler arms extending into and connected to reciprocating pistons parallel to the engine shaft. hinged and transversely floating connections between the wobbler arms and the pistons.

A further object is to form the pistons from opposed members, detachably connected to a central crosshead portion, and to connect the wobbler arms fioatingly in the central crosshead portion.

A further object is to so position the piston rings in the cylinders whereby the pistons will reciprocate out of contact with the cylinder walls.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combinationand arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown inthe drawings, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made Within the scope of what is claimed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.'

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal central view through the engine.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the engine, showing the wobbler frame on center.

iii)

,in parallel relation thereto.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of one of the pistons. Figure 4 is a top'plan view of one of the transverse connecting sleeves, parts being broken away to bettershow the structure.

Figure 5 is an end view of the engine showing the gearing for operating the valve cam.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l designates the drive shaft of the engine, which is provided with a wobbler crank 2, intermediate its ends. adaptedto be rotated for rotating the drive shaft I. The shaft l is supported in antifrictional bearings 3 of a casing 4, and the casing 4 is provided with alined pairs of cylinders -5 around the axis of the shaft I, and preferably .form of pairs by a crosshead central body l0, which body is preferably threaded into the pistons 9'at' II. Each arm 8, at its outer end, has extending therethrough a sleeve l2 and the sleeveis held in the opening B of the arm by means of a set boltl4. .The ends of the sleeve l2 -are slidably mounted in bores l5 of a radially movable sleeve l6 in the radially disposed cylindrical chamber ll of the crosshead body portion In of each piston structure, therefore it will be seen, referring to Figure 1, that when the pistons 9 are reciprocated, the sleeves IE will move inwardly and outwardly for providing a floating driving connection between the piston and wob-. bler frame arms 8, and at the same time allowing the pistons to move in axial relation to the cylinders 5 in the packing rings l8 carried by the cylinders and surrounding the pistons.

By placing the packing rings ill in the cylinder,

as distinguished from placing them in grooves in the pistons, it is obvious the cylinders will not wear off-round as is now the common difficulty, and at the same time the piston can be made of less diameter than the cylinders, so the cylinders and pistons will not engage and be worn off-round. Any number of packing rings may be used, however for purposes of illustration three are shown around each piston. Disposed in each rock sleeve I2 is a central partition l9, preferably apertured as shown, and interposed between said partitions and discmembers 20, in the outer ends of the bores l5, are compression springs 2|, which are compressed or expanded according to the line of oscillation of the wobbler arms I, thereby allowing the arms to assume non-torsional positions when the slidable sleeve bearings have their axis above or below the axis of the pairs of pistons. In other words a complete floating drive connection is provided between eachc wobbler arm 8 and each pair of pistons.' It is to be understood the device may be used in connection with a pump or internal combustion engine structure, however. is shown in connection with a rotary engine. The intake and exhaust valves 22 and 23 are operated through a gear train connection 24 from'the engine shaft I, and which train connection rotates the cam disc 25 for actuating the valves against spring means 25 through the rollers 21.

The central body portion I is slightly wider than the pistons 9 and are reciprocally mounted in bearings 28 of the central casing section 29, clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, consequently the central body portion l0 serves as a crosshead for the pistons and thus provides the necessary bearing surfaces for each reciprocating piston.

Some of the main advantages derived from the particular construction are as follows:

There is no need for cylinder wall lubrication; therefore the construction does not expose any lubricated cylinder surfaces to combustion flames or high temperature. Instead the piston is drawn out of the cylinder during the expansion stroke, making possible ample lubrication for the rings.

The construction allows positive lubrication of the piston movement in the crank case, giving much longer life to the mechanism. v

Loose fits, to prevent seizing of metals at varying temperatures, is not required and thus a quieter mechanism is achieved.

The rings will operate at a low temperature when placed in the base of the cylinder than when located in the hot piston head.

Using the compression springs in the crossheadpin or sleeve, stabilize the wobbler frame and evenly distributes the side thrust caused by the angularity of the Wobbler frame over the five crosshead bearings. 4

From the above it will be seen that a rotary engine of the wobbler type is provided wherein there is a floating connection between the wobbler frame arms and the pistons, and one wherein the reciprocating pistons are supported by a crosshead and the packing rings fixed in the cylinder base in manner whereby the peripheries of the pistons are maintained out of engagement with the cylinder walls at all times.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

The combination with a wobbler typye engine having a wobbler frame, arms carried by said frame, pairs of pistons disposed in opposed cylinders and adapted to be reciprocated in said cylinders, of floating connections transversely between the cylinders of each pair of cylinders and connecting'each pair of cylinders to the wobbler arms, said floating connection comprising a radially movable sleeve between the pistons of each pair of pistons, a transverse sleeve extending through a wabbler arm and having bearings in the first mentioned sleeve on opposite sides of the wabbler arm, expansion springs within the ends of the transverse sleeve, said expansion springs being interposed between a partition within the transverse sleeve and partitions in the bearings of the radially movable sleeve in which the transverse sleeve is rockably mounted.

WARREN E. GEORGE. 

